{"id":87728,"date":"2022-09-27T14:39:55","date_gmt":"2022-09-27T21:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=87728"},"modified":"2024-06-30T12:36:37","modified_gmt":"2024-06-30T19:36:37","slug":"major-dundee-1965","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=87728","title":{"rendered":"Major Dundee (1965)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;How can we catch the wind &#8212; or destroy an enemy we never see?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Poster-192x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-87729\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Poster-192x300.png 192w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Poster-82x128.png 82w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Poster-173x270.png 173w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Poster.png 609w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 192px) 100vw, 192px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nNear the end of the Civil War, a Union cavalry leader (Charlton Heston) recruits a former-friend-turned-Confederate (Richard Harris) &#8212; as well as other prisoners-of-war, scoundrels, and a small group of Black soldiers &#8212; to help him fight a battle across the Mexican border against the Apache Indians.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ben Johnson Films<\/li>\n<li>Cavalry<\/li>\n<li>Charlton Heston Films<\/li>\n<li>Civil War<\/li>\n<li>James Coburn Films<\/li>\n<li>Jim Hutton Films<\/li>\n<li>Mexico<\/li>\n<li>Misfits<\/li>\n<li>Native Americans<\/li>\n<li>Richard Harris Films<\/li>\n<li>Rivalry<\/li>\n<li>Sam Peckinpah Films<\/li>\n<li>Warren Oates Films<\/li>\n<li>Westerns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nAs Peary writes, while this &#8220;okay Sam Peckinpah epic western&#8221; &#8212; made in between <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=83966\"><em>Ride the High Country<\/em> (1962)<\/a> and <em>The Wild Bunch<\/em> (1969) &#8212; &#8220;contains several sweeping battle scenes,&#8221; the &#8220;emphasis is more on Bligh-Christian infighting between strict military man Charlton Heston and the more humane Richard Harris&#8221;, as well as &#8220;the tormented Heston&#8217;s personal journey&#8221; and &#8220;how Dundee&#8217;s troop, comprised of diverse elements, comes to represent imperialistic, impure, but somehow noble America.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Men.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Men-1024x429.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"268\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-87738\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Men-1024x429.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Men-300x126.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Men-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Men-768x322.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Men-604x253.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Men.png 1301w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>He points out (and many agree) that the &#8220;picture is confusing and boring at times,&#8221; though &#8220;it&#8217;s hard to judge because Columbia Studios broke the contract with Peckinpah and edited [the] film itself.&#8221; (See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s4150dund.html\">DVD Savant&#8217;s extensive overview<\/a> of the film&#8217;s production, release, and re-release history if you&#8217;d like to read more.)  He notes that because &#8220;Peckinpah wasn&#8217;t allowed to film several pivotal scenes that would have added more than an hour to the already lengthy running time&#8221; (the truth is more complicated than this), he &#8220;disowned this film&#8221; &#8212; and &#8220;some will recognize <em>The Wild Bunch<\/em> as his partial remake.&#8221; Meanwhile, Peary argues that &#8220;Heston&#8217;s cold, deeply flawed character is far too complex for the actor to play,&#8221; thus making it &#8220;hard for us to figure out what is going on in his head at any given time,&#8221; but he does make note of the &#8220;excellent cast&#8221; overall. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dunee-Tyreen.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dunee-Tyreen-1024x433.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"271\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-87735\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dunee-Tyreen-1024x433.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dunee-Tyreen-300x127.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dunee-Tyreen-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dunee-Tyreen-768x325.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dunee-Tyreen-604x255.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dunee-Tyreen.png 1284w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m essentially in agreement with Peary&#8217;s assessment of this disappointing western, which contains a reasonably interesting and coherent first hour, only to go flying off into frustratingly opaque directions for the remainder of its running time. The female characters &#8212; primarily Senta Berger as a German-born beauty who falls for Heston &#8212; are nothing more than romantic bait for the men:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Heston-Woman.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Heston-Woman-1024x437.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"273\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-87736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Heston-Woman-1024x437.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Heston-Woman-300x128.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Heston-Woman-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Heston-Woman-768x328.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Heston-Woman-604x258.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Heston-Woman.png 1295w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and the Apaches (perhaps predictably) are almost completely dehumanized. While this film has cult fans who consider it a guilty favorite, I can&#8217;t recommend it as must-see. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sam Leavitt&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Cinematography-1024x494.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"309\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-87734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Cinematography-1024x494.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Cinematography-300x145.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Cinematography-128x62.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Cinematography-768x371.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Cinematography-559x270.png 559w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Major-Dundee-Cinematography.png 1295w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though of course it&#8217;s worth a one-time look simply for its historical significance, and Peckinpah fans will consider it must-see. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0059418\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/4697\/major-dundee#articles-reviews?articleId=1067\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s4150dund.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/reviews\/61108\/major-dundee\/\">DVD Talk Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salon.com\/2005\/04\/06\/major_dundee\/\">Salon.com Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;How can we catch the wind &#8212; or destroy an enemy we never see?&#8221; Synopsis: Near the end of the Civil War, a Union cavalry leader (Charlton Heston) recruits a former-friend-turned-Confederate (Richard Harris) &#8212; as well as other prisoners-of-war, scoundrels, and a small group of Black soldiers &#8212; to help him fight a battle across the Mexican border against the Apache Indians. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Ben Johnson Films Cavalry Charlton Heston Films Civil War James Coburn Films Jim&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=87728\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=87728"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98188,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87728\/revisions\/98188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=87728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=87728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=87728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}